5 Best Changes in Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5 has been out for a week now, and most agree that it's awesome. The latest sandbox from Ubisoft manages to make numerous improvements to the formula, making for what many (myself included) agree to be the best game in the series since Far Cry 3, released back in 2012. To add to the discussion, I've been playing the game for a week and decided to report some of the best changes that have been made in Far Cry 5 that I'd hope to see appear again in future installments. So, in no particular order, let's begin.

Hunting not tied into progression

This change is more of a subtraction than an addition. In past games, you would constantly need to hunt for animals to obtain certain upgrades, like a bigger wallet, ability to hold an extra gun or two, hold more ammo, etc. It was a SUPER annoying activity that had you running around and tediously waiting for an animal to spawn so you could kill a few of them to get those new additions. It really hurt the otherwise great pacing from past games.

Far Cry 5 does have hunting, but it's now a side activity you can do. If you want to make money, you can hunt animals and sell their skins for cash. It's a much better use of hunting than forcing it on us for progression's sake. Speaking of which ...

Perks

In past games, you would gain EXP from killing enemies, hunting, and taking on missions so that you could level up and unlock abilities. Gone is EXP, now replaced by perks. By doing various challenges, you gain perks that can be used to unlock various skills and upgrades, like lockpicking, using parachutes and wing suits, and holding an additional gun or two. It helps that most challenges are kept to killing an enemy with a certain gun, stealth killing, and so on. It's simple, easy, and a fun way to help you diversify your play style.

Door opening

Unless you need a key to unlock something, you can just walk forward to open a door in Far Cry 5. You no longer need to hold the Square/X/E button to open it. It's understandable why you did this in past installments, as the games probably needed it so they could load the interior of buildings, but it's a change for the better and helps us see how far technology has come.

Character Customization

Unlike past Far Cry games, in which you played as a named character, you can now choose your appearance and gender. It's a nice new touch, and hopefully we'll see more of it. There are a few downsides to this: Your character is now a mute and, depending on who you are, it can take you out of the immersion that the story is trying to tell. But the good here mostly outweighs the bad. Hopefully we'll get this option in later installments.

Companions (especially Boomer)

The biggest addition to Far Cry 5 is the inclusion of Companions. While you've had NPCs to help you in fights in past games, they were limited to specific missions. These NPCs have their own abilities and can help you do a lot. Half the fun of this feature is mixing and matching which two to take with you. Do you have Boomer the dog go spot enemies so that Jess can use her arrows to silently kill them? Or do you have recurring character Hurk go and help you blow shit up while you let loose Cheeseburger the Bear? It's all up to you.

Also, how can you not love Boomer? Just look at him -- he's adorable. He's easily the best video game dog since DD in MGS5. Now if only there were a patch to let him ride shotgun ....

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Did your favorite change to Far Cry 5 make the list? Let us know all about how you're enjoying your romp through Hope County in the comments below, and be sure to stick with GameSkinny for more Far Cry 5 news, tips, and guides!